Best Cheap Pet Insurance Plans of November 2024

Editor's take

Lemonade is known for its cheap accident & illness coverage and its customizable plans. They are one of the few pet insurance providers that offers dental coverage, they include coverage for recurring conditions, and they have a convenient app for managing your policy online.

Coverage limits can be customized to build a plan that fits your budget. Add-ons from Lemonade include coverage for preventative care, vet visit fees, dental illness, physical therapy, behavioral conditions, and end-of-life care and remembrance. For the cheapest coverage, we recommend opting for the $5,000 limit with a 70% reimbursement, but you can change the annual limits, reimbursement rate, and add-ons to fit your budget and coverage needs.

With Lemonade’s accident and illness plan, there is no waiting period for accidents, a 14-day waiting period for illnesses, and a 30-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions. Waiting periods may vary by location, so be sure to check your policy details.

While Lemonade offers excellent coverage at an affordable price, they don’t offer telemedicine, don’t cover spay/neuter costs for pets over 2 years old, and vet fees are extra unless you purchase the add-on.

Read our full Lemonade review

Editor's take

Although Paw Protect is a somewhat new pet insurance provider, it comes with a variety of benefits. One of our favorites is that they offer customers a $2,000 interest-free charge card to pay with at the vet, meaning you’ll have no out-of-pocket expenses (for charges under $2,000), unlike most providers that require you to pay upfront and be reimbursed later on.

Paw Protect offers an accident & illness plan as well as an optional Wellness plan available as an add-on. Like some other providers, it comes with 24/7 telemedicine coverage which allows you to speak to a vet in case you have an emergency and aren’t sure whether to take your animal in for a visit. It also offers considerable discounts if you have multiple pets (10% off) or are a military member (5% off).

Paw Protect accident and illness plan has a two-day waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is a six-month waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions, which can be reduced to 14 days if you complete an orthopedic exam and waiver process.

Read our full Paw Protect review

Editor's take

We like Pets Best as it offers competitively priced plans with a wide range of deductible options, and it can pay the vet directly for you.

Pets Best is great for people on a budget as it allows you to tailor your plan to what you can afford. There is also no age limit for sign-ups, meaning you can purchase coverage for your pet later in life. You’ll also get unlimited access to a 24/7 emergency vet hotline for quick consultations at all hours of the day.

Pets Best offers multiple plans including an Accident-only plan, as well as 3 tiers called Essential, Plus, and Elite. You can also opt for an add-on for wellness / routine care plans for an extra fee which offers good coverage versus other plans on the market.

With Pets Best you can expect a waiting period of 3 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions. When choosing, note that exam fees are not included in the Essential plan, which is why we recommend opting for a higher-tier plan, such as the Elite plan, with a wellness add-on.

Read our full Pets Best review

Editor's take

For multi-pet households looking for a cheap pet insurance plan, you can’t beat Metlife’s family plan. This plan allows you to buy one policy, with one deductible and one annual limit, that can be shared between up to 3 pets. This can save you money instead of buying 3 individual policies. However, if one pet has an accident and you reach your annual limit, it means you’ve reached it for all pets on the plan and no more expenses will be covered.

We love that MetLife has same-day accident coverage, which goes into effect at midnight on the day you buy a policy, a far shorter wait than many pet insurance companies require.

We also like how they offer a variety of discounts for pet parents, like multi-pet discounts, employer benefit discounts, first-responder discounts, health care worker discounts, and more. On top of that, your deductible has the potential to decrease each year you don’t file a claim, making Metlife a great choice for affordable pet insurance.

With MetLife, you don’t need an initial exam to enroll your pet, there is no upper age limit, and many accidents and illnesses are covered as part of your insurance plan. Although traditional MetLife accident and illness policies don’t include wellness exams and dental cleanings, you can opt into their preventative care add-on to get coverage for these things and more.

Accident coverage (and wellness coverage, if you choose to opt-in) goes into effect at midnight on the day you enroll your pet. Illness coverage requires a 14-day wait before coverage is effective. Many orthopedic conditions are also covered at the time that illness coverage kicks in.

Read our full MetLife review

Editor's take

We love Embrace Pet Insurance for its highly customizable plans and various discounts to customers with multiple pets (10% off) or who are military members (5% off). Embrace offers an accident & illness plan with optional wellness coverage as an add-on. This also includes optional coverage for exam fees and prescription drugs. Additionally, Embrace offers a diminishing deductible, meaning that every year you don’t file a claim, your deductible is lowered by $50.

If you’re looking for cheap pet insurance coverage, the $5,000 annual limit with 70% reimbursement will give you the most affordable monthly premium. However, you can opt to increase these based on your pet’s needs.

In case of an emergency, you’ll also get access to 24/7 virtual assistance via telemedicine calls which can help you diagnose if it’s necessary to rush to an in-person emergency vet. This feature alone could save you hundreds on vet bills, which is another reason we love Embrace.

With Embrace’s accident and illness plan you’ll have a two-day waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is a six-month waiting period for canine orthopedic conditions, which can be reduced to 14 days if you complete an orthopedic exam and waiver process.

Read our full review

Editor's take

Figo is known for its fast claim processing which is a huge benefit to its customers. Figo is also one of the few providers that offer 100% reimbursement (on plans with deductibles of $500+).

Figo has lots of plan options to suit all types of budgets. It offers several pre-set accident & illness plans but also allows you to customize your plan based on your desired coverage limits, deductible, and reimbursement level.

You can also opt for add-ons that offer continued wellness coverage and reimbursement for vet exam fees. All plans come with 24/7 vet assistance text-chat, however, video/phone telehealth consultations are also available as part of the wellness add-on.

With Figo, there is a 1-day waiting period for accidents and injuries and 14 days for illnesses.

For dogs, there is also a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions. However, this can be waived if you get an orthopedic exam within the first 30 days of your policy and your pet is deemed healthy.

In some cases, Figo can also treat curable pre-existing conditions if your pets show no symptoms within 12 months of treatment.

Read our full review

Editor's take

Spot offers a wide range of annual coverage and deductible options to suit all budgets and is one of a few providers that offer a discount for owners with multiple pets (10%). They also tend to cover more things than other providers such as advanced care and alternative therapies.

Spot offers several plan options including an accident-only plan, an accident & illness plan, and 2 tiers of wellness add-ons (Gold & Platinum) which can cover things like teeth cleaning. Another benefit to Spot is that euthanasia and exam fees (for covered conditions) are included with their accident & illness plan.

Spot has a 14-day waiting period for accidents, illnesses, and ligament/knee conditions. Spot will also cover pre-existing conditions if they are considered curable and your pet has not had symptoms or treatments for at least 180 days.

Read our full Spot review

Editor's take

Healthy Paws offers many choices for coverage levels and deductibles, which is great for those wanting to tailor a plan to fit their budget. This company is especially affordable for cat parents, with some plan options only costing around $10 a month! They also offer the most choices when it comes to reimbursement, with options as low as 50%. Choosing a low reimbursement rate will make the monthly cost of your plan more affordable. They do not offer wellness options, so keep that in mind.

This is one of the only pet insurance companies that can pay the vet for you directly, as long as you call for prior authorization before your pet is treated.

With the Healthy Paws accident and illness plan there’s a 15-day waiting period for accidents and illness and a 12-month waiting period for conditions linked to hip dysplasia or if your pet is under the age of six. These are some of the longest waiting periods in the industry, which could be a deal-breaker for some people.

Read our full review

Editor's take

CarePlus is one of the only companies that offer up to 100% reimbursement for prescription products (which can get expensive!) There is no maximum age of enrollment and it offers unlimited coverage. With all CarePlus accident & illness plans, you’ll get access to telemedicine via chat/video which gives you free vet consultations. This can save you time and money before going into an office by ruling out whether something is an emergency.

CarePlus offers various levels of plans including their Accident Only plan, Value Accident & Illness plan, Essential Plus Accident & Illness plan, and the Complete Accident & Illness plan. You can also customize your plans with optional add-ons such as the Preventive and Preventative+ plans and the Wellness and Comprehensive plan.

For an affordable plan, we recommend the Value Accident & Illness which is provided through Lemonade. The 2-day waiting period for accidents is very competitive and exam fees are included.

Depending on the plan you choose, you will have a 2-5 day waiting period for accidents, a 14-day waiting period for new illnesses, and either a 14-day, 30-day, or 6-month wait for cruciate ligament conditions. On the downside, dental disease and exam fees are not covered in all plans.

Read our full review

Editor's take

We love Pumpkin for its wide-reaching coverage and reimbursement level. Where other companies let you choose low reimbursement levels, Pumpkin ensures you get 90% back from covered claims and has no maximum age of enrollment. As an added benefit, owners with multiple pets get a 10% discount on policies. When it comes to coverage, what is offered as add-ons from other companies comes standard at Pumpkin.

Pumpkin has a standard accident & illness plan that covers exam fees, dental illnesses, behavioral issues, hereditary & congenital conditions, rehab therapies, and end-of-life services. You can also customize your plan with an optional add-on for preventative care.

Since you can’t adjust the reimbursement rate, you can make the plan more affordable by choosing a higher deductible or a lower annual limit.

With Pumpkin’s accident & illness plan, there is a 14-day waiting period. While this is longer than some other providers, Pumpkin has no extended waiting period for hip dysplasia or knee injuries making it a great option for animals prone to joint issues. On the downside, their add-on plan for preventive care doesn’t have a lot of coverage.

Read our full Pumpkin review

Editor's take

Fetch by The Dodo offers simple and straightforward plans with some of the most comprehensive coverage on the market. There is no age limit for enrollment and it covers things most other providers don’t offer. As an example, if your pet is lost, Fetch will cover expenses for lost pet ads and will even chip in to offer a reward. They also cover boarding fees if you’re in the hospital and can’t care for your pet.

Fetch only offers their standard accident & illness plan which includes TeleVet services and dental coverage at no extra cost. However, unlike other providers, there is no preventative/wellness plan option with this provider. There is a 10% discount for military members, but not a multi-pet discount.

Fetch has a waiting period of 15 days for accidents & illness and a 6-month waiting period for injuries for knee & hip injuries. However, this can be waived if you get an orthopedic exam within the first 30 days of your policy and your pet is deemed healthy with no pre-existing orthopedic conditions.

Read our full review

Editor's take

We like Odie Pet Insurance because it offers some of the cheapest monthly premiums we found during our research.

They advertise their average monthly cost for dogs at $35/month and cats at $25/month (for 3 year old mixed breeds). By opting out of additional add-ons like rehab and prescription coverage we easily found accident and illness plans as low as $18/month for dogs and $8/month for cats, making it one of the cheapest pet insurance options we’ve found.